The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing a composite material aircraft component.
In aircraft construction, efforts are being made to use as load-bearing components increasingly components which are composed wholly or partly of fiber-reinforced composite materials, for example carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). For example, DE 10 2007 062 111 A1 describes a transverse support structure which is composed of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and serves to support the individual panels of an aircraft floor system for separating a passenger cabin from a cargo compartment arranged below the passenger cabin. Furthermore, it is known, for example from DE 10 2004 001 078 A1 or CN 1906084 A, to provide aircraft fuselage segments with a skin which is designed with a sandwich construction and made of fiber-reinforced composite materials.
For producing aircraft components from fiber-reinforced composite materials, a Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process may be used which involves the injection of a thermoset plastic material, for example an epoxy resin material, into a mold. Reinforcing fibers in the form of single fibers, fiber pre-wovens or fiber prepregs may be arranged inside the mold prior to the injection of the thermoset plastic material. Within the mold, the thermoset plastic material is cured under elevated pressure and/or elevated temperature so that a composite material with a matrix made of cured thermoset plastic and reinforcing fibers embedded in the matrix is obtained. In order to exhibit the thermoset plastic material received within the mold to the desired elevated pressure and/or elevated temperature, the mold may be disposed between heated press plates.
Alternatively, an autoclave process may be used to manufacture fiber-reinforced composite material aircraft components. In particular large structural components such as aircraft fuselage or wing parts may be produced from multilayer laminates which are built up from fiber prepregs. The fiber prepregs, which comprise a woven fabric or laid scrim of reinforcing fibers provided with a surface layer made of an uncured thermoset plastic material, for example an epoxy resin material, are arranged in a mold which in turn is received in an autoclave. The thermoset plastic material deposited on the surfaces of the fibers then is cured in an autoclave cycle under pressure and/or elevated temperature.
Finally, DE 10 2010 050 740 C1 and WO 2012/062441 A2 describe composite material aircraft components comprising a matrix made of a thermoplastic material and reinforcing fibers which are embedded in the matrix material. The aircraft components are manufactured by introducing a stack of semi-finished product layers into a compression mold and then applying a pressure to the stack of semi-finished product layers. The stacked semi-finished product layers are heated to a temperature of 300° C. to 500° C. while pressure is being applied.
The invention is directed at the object of specifying an apparatus and a method for efficiently producing a high quality composite material aircraft component.